Two Across
by Cyberweasel89
Summary: The death of their parents hurt them. She wore a false smile and ate a lot. He rarely ever spoke and slept a lot. But when twins Minato and Hamuko Arisato arrived on the island their parents died on... All it took was a girl who wasn't human and a boy so broken he saw through masks to change them, and they in turn touched the lives of everyone. Combines all Persona 3 mediums.
1. Prologue: Shuffle and Stack

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Persona 3, Persona 3: FES, Persona 3 Portable, the Persona 3 manga, or the Persona 3 movies. They belong... primarily to Atlus. And if you can't tell from this disclaimer, this fanfic will be mixing all those mediums.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Your fate does the thinking. Two across, yet one gets up. Odds are against you... but they're just numbers after the two-to-one. You're playing the hand you've been dealt, but you don't let it rest. You shuffle and stack, and a gamble... a gamble that may pay off? But how? Good and evil over the world, at each other's throats... but a light from the darkness? Ball spinning on the wheel, more than two at the table. Placing bets. All lose in different ways. But who and in what shares? Even the dealer doesn't know. The here and now. Little of interest. False hopes, broken dreams, and regrets watered down, washed down in dirty dishes. With regret comes a girl... smiling sad, red eyes, big appetite, half here. Wraps her and her heart up like a pack. In the pack, a key, some say. Conclusion? Would you rather perpetually wear a false smile... or never wear one at all?"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Persona 3

Two Across

By _Cyberweasel89_

**Prologue: **Shuffle and Stack

**XXXXXXXX**

Time never waits. It delivers all equally to the same end.

You, who wish to safeguard the future, however limited it may be...

You will be given one year.

Go forth without falter, with your heart as your guide.

"Attention, passengers. Train service today is significantly delayed due to a fatal accident. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused by the delay. Next stop is Iwatodai."

She'd been on the train for a long time. It was only natural she'd get hungry. As she gazed out the window, munching on a block of Calorie Mate, she could've sworn she saw a glowing blue butterfly flutter past the window. How odd...

"Iwatodai. Iwatodai."

As the train finally pulled into the station, it was dark out. As the potato chips she was snacking on rained crumbs, the head in her lap began to stir.

"Mmmmmph..."

With a barely-audible groan, the boy currently using her lap as a pillow began to stir, lifting his head to sit up, rubbing his icy blue eyes.

"Onii-chan! You're awake!" she chirped as the boy brushed the potato crisp crumbs from his boyish face.

He turned, giving her a mere stoic, blank glance. She loved calling him Onii-chan. He didn't show it, but she knew it annoyed him, since, technically, even though he was ten centimeters taller than her, she was older by five minutes.

"We're just pulling into the station, Onii-chan! You woke up at the perfect time!" she told him happily, placing another handful of chips into her mouth. Her twin brother only yawned in response. Such a sleepyhead! Though... she knew why.

They were on their way to the very island their parents were killed at ten years ago. They'd yet to receive the uniforms, so... Her brother was dressed in a light gray double-breasted jacket, black slacks, a khaki turtleneck sweater, white socks, and dark brown loafers, along with his trademark earphones. As he settled against the seat next to her, he placed them over his ears and flicked his MP3 player on, the song 'Burn My Dread' faintly heard from them.

She was wearing a short red scarf, a pale yellow sweater with an orange stripe over the chest, a plaid skirt reaching just above her knees, black leggings, and mid-shin brown boots. She also had the same MP3 player and earphones as her brother. NW-S20x series player and model ATH-EM700 earphones, only hers were red instead of blue. She... didn't listen to them much. Mostly just wore them around her neck, but they were an accessory that she rarely didn't wear.

Many pointed out how, despite being twins, even fraternal, they looked the opposite of each other. His hair was dark blue, hers was auburn. His eyes were a pale blue, hers a very unusual red color. His hair was shaggy and hung in front of his face, while she always tied her hair in a high ponytail and wore silver barrettes that spelled out the roman numeral XXII. She'd always felt that red and orange were her colors and 22 was her number. Her brother preferred blue and silver, and was rather drawn to the number zero. Funny, right?

Their personalities couldn't be more different, either. While growing up, he was quite the cheerful child, and she was quite meek and shy. After the death of their parents ten years ago, though, she rarely ever stopped smiling, while he... not only had never smiled... he'd rarely ever talked. She could probably count on both hands the number of times he'd spoken in the past ten years to people other than her. She rarely left his side, so she tended to do the talking for the both of them. To her, it really wasn't hard to tell what he wanted to say, and she actually found his stoic expressions kind of funny.

Of note was that both of them were rather short for their ages, but that was easily explained with them being twins. Twins tended to be on the petite side in both height and body frame. Her brother was pretty scrawny and prettyboy-like in looks, and tended to wear full clothes to hide it. She, likewise, was rather uncomfortable about her striking red eyes, and kept her eyelashes quite long in hopes of hiding them, as silly as that sounded. When she was younger, she constantly wore a pair of sunglasses to hide her crimson eyes, but gave them up when her parents died.

"This is the final train bound for Tatsumi Port Island. Please make sure you board in time for departure."

As they each grabbed their bags, she ran out onto the terminal platform, a smile on her face as she gazed around at the bustling train station. Her brother walked up calmly behind her, his left hand in his pants pocket and leaning slightly back, his right hand grasping the Iwatodai Dormitory move-in guide, gazing at it with disinterest. With a pout, she looked up at the nearest clock, right about to strike midnight.

"Look how late we are, Onii-chan! I hope I'll have time for dinner when we reach the dorm! I'm still hungry! Since lunch, I've only had two boxes of Calorie Mate, three bags of potato chips, and that picnic bento we bought at the station before we left!"

"Iwatodai. Iwatodai." a voice rang over the station announcement system.

It was just as the clock struck midnight that her brother's headphones went silent. The station was cast into shades of green and blood began running from the walls and over the clock, with any water nearby having also turned to blood.

"So? Which way do we go to get to the dorm, Onii-chan?" she asked him, just as unphased by the sudden shift as he was.

Her brother merely glanced up at her, walking past her and stepping through a puddle of blood on the ground as he led her outside the terminal and into the streets. She followed after him, also stepping through the puddle of blood with a harmless splash, and walking right past several human-sized coffins standing upright in the middle of the path.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Her brother opened the door to the dorm for her. It was rather dark inside, and as he closed the door for his sister, a youthful voice spoke.

"Welcome. You're late. I've been waiting a long time for you both."

She jumped a little, turning to see a little boy with tightly-cut dark blue hair and pale blue eyes standing with his elbows on the sign-in counter. He... looked familiar. His voice, too... it was youthful, but oddly familiar. It... kind of sounded like a younger version of her brother's voice, actually. Weird...

The little boy snapped his fingers. "Now if you want to proceed..."

And just like that, he was gone. A book with a red cover and a quill sat on the counter, and the red-eyed girl jumped when she sensed a presence next to her, turning to see the boy was now standing there, instead.

"Please sign your names, there." he gestured to the book, which seemed to open on its own. "It's a contract. Don't worry. All it says is that you'll accept full responsibility for your actions. You know, the usual stuff."

She gazed down at it, quirking an eyebrow. It had four rather short lines of English text on it. 'Time never waits. It delivers all equally to the same end. I hereby agree to the statement above, and I chooseth this fate of mine own free will.' Below it were two blanks to sign her name... and her brother's, she presumed?

"Whoa, kid. I dunno what you're pullin' here, but I'm not signing anything that-"

She was interrupted by a hand on her shoulder from her brother. She gazed up at his face, and though it didn't change, it spoke volumes to her.

"Ugh. Fine. But I better not be selling my soul, or something."

Walking up, she signed her name in slightly sloppy handwriting. Arisato Hamuko. Ladies first, heh! Her brother followed suit, signing his own name in meticulously neat, downright perfect penmanship. Arisato Minato. Her brother was often told how his name rolled off the tongue, and how it sounded nice with the way it rhymed. She got no such compliments. Instead kids often made meat or hamster jokes with her. Until she kicked them in the nards enough. That shut them up. Feisty didn't even begin to cover it with her.

When they were done, her brother, Minato, picked up the red book and handed it to the little boy, who Hamuko now noticed was wearing odd pajamas with horizontal white and black stripes, almost like some kind of cartoony prison uniform.

"Very well." he stated in his polite, lighthearted voice. He took the thin red book from her brother, holding it up over half of his face. "Time is something no one can escape. It delivers us all to the same end. Wishing won't make it go away, not even if we cover our eyes and plug our ears."

Turning the book sideways, it seemingly... vanished into thin air. Darkness began to envelope him from behind, and the little boy reached out forward with his right arm, grasping at the air.

"And so it begins..." he said just before the darkness enveloped his hand and he seemingly melted into it. When the darkness faded... he was gone.

"Who's there?!"

Hamuko turned to see a girl with short light brown hair standing there in an alert position, dressed in a pink sweater jacket, loose red ribbon over the chest, black mini skirt, knee-length black stockings with a white vertical stripe on the outer sides, brown Mary Janes, and a white choker with a heart on it. Both her ears were also pierced, wearing a white stud in each one. Hamuko was noted for being pretty short, but this girl looked almost her height, maybe even shorter by a centimeter.

"How can you be... But it's...!" Her brown eyes gazed at her and her brother with cautious suspicion. "Don't tell me..." She lowered her right hand, reaching for something at her thigh. It looked to be a holster with... a gun?

Hamuko gave a "Meep!" and hid behind her twin brother, Minato showing no reaction to what he was seeing. The girl seemed to be clutching the gun, but not drawing in, breathing heavy as she waited to see what the siblings would do.

"Wait, Takeba."

The girl, Takeba, gasped at the sound of another girl's voice. She turned to look at a girl with long red hair, her bangs covering one eye, walk down the stairs. Hamuko couldn't help but feel a little jealous of the girl's height and bustline. I mean, sure, she was no slouch herself in the chest department, but this girl, even in her modest school uniform, made her feel small. The red-eyed girl couldn't help noticing that the red ribbon on the front of her white blouse was larger than the other uniforms for this school she'd seen. She seemed to exude an aura of class all over.

"But, Kirijou-senpai, they-"

"Don't worry. They're ordinary transfer students." she stated calmly and seriously.

That gave the first girl pause. "What do you mean, ordinary?"

At that moment, the green hue faded, the lights came back on, and even Minato's MP3 player started back up again. "The lights?" the first girl noticed, gazing around.

The redhead, Kirijou, continued her walk down the stairs. "We were expecting you to arrive earlier. My name is Kirijou Mitsuru. I'm one of the students who live in this dorm."

"Who are they?" the first girl asked.

"They're transfer students. It was a last minute decision to assign them here. They'll eventually be moved to rooms in the regular dorms."

"Is it okay for them to be here?" she asked nervously.

"I guess we'll see." Mitsuru mused, a small smile gracing her elegant features. She turned to the twins, Hamuko having just come out from hiding behind her brother, while Minato continued to simply stand there, his left hand in his pocket and wearing a stoic expression. "This is Takeba Yukari. She'll be a junior this spring, just like you two."

"HI. I'm Yukari." she introduced herself, trying to be friendly despite the obvious aura of distrust she was emitting and the doubt in her eyes.

"Nice to meet you!" Hamuko greeted with a bright smile. "I'm Arisato Hamuko, and this is my twin bro, Minato!"

The brunette looked to the blue-haired boy, waiting for him to acknowledge his sister's introduction of him, or Yukari's own intro, but when he continued to stand there, not moving a muscle, she spoke anyway.

"Uh, y-yeah... Nice to meet you, too..." She managed an awkward smile at the boy, hoping to get a reaction, but finding none.

"Uh, so, why do you have a gun? That scared me pretty bad, ya know!" Hamuko pointed out, pouting.

"Huh? Um, well, it's sorta like a hobby... Well, not a hobby, but..." Yukari stumbled in her explanation. Mitsuru seemed to bail her out.

"You know how it is these days. It's for self-defense. It's not a real gun, of course." She smiled mysteriously.

"I can understand that, I guess. So, is this a girls' dorm? I mean, are you sure it's okay for Onii-chan to stay here?"

"No, it's not, but... Umm, how should I explain it...?"

Mitsuru, again, bailed Yukari out. "Not quite. It's not your typical dorm. Unlike the other buildings, this one's co-ed, for one thing, and there are other differences as well. I'll explain it to you later when I get a chance. Now, it's getting late, so you should get some rest. Your room is on the third floor, at the end of the hallway, while your brother's should be in the same spot on the second floor. Most of your things should already be there."

"Oh... I'll show you the way. Follow me." Yukari offered.

"Oh! Hold that thought! I need to make a quick pit stop. You go ahead and lead Onii-chan to his room first."

The brunette quirked an eyebrow. "Uh,. sure. Bathroom's over-" She barely had to point before the ponytailed girl made a mad dash for the rest room, dropping her bag just outside the door and ducking inside. Turning to Minato she gave him a small smile, one she hoped was genuine. "Okay... I'll lead you to your room then, Arisato-kun."

Showing no reaction, he began walking toward her, which she took as her cue to lead him upstairs to the second floor. She stopped just at the door at the end of the hall.

"This is it..." she explained, stopping in front of it. She gave the boy a small smile. "Pretty easy to remember, huh? Since it's right at the end of the hall. So, any questions?"

He merely shook his head. It was the first time she'd seen him react to anything since she first saw him. It made her pause a moment longer than usual, seeing him actually react.

"Um... Can I ask you something? On your way here from the station, was everything okay?"

He merely nodded. The second reaction she'd seen him give all night, and it was the opposite of his first.

"I see..." she smiled awkwardly. "...Never mind, then. Well, I'd better get going..." she turned and began to walk away, the blue-haired boy watching her as she left. Pausing, she turned back, facing him with her arms clasped behind her back. "Um... I'm sure you still have other questions, but let's save them for later, okay?" she managed a small smile. "Goodnight."

She whirled back around and made her way downstairs, but just as she was about to turn the corner on the stairwell, she turned to see Minato gone. Odd... she didn't even hear his door open and close.

Descending down to the first floor, Yukari headed for the bathroom, but hearing Mitsuru clear her throat got her attention.

"She's in the kitchen, Takeba."

"Oh. Thanks, Kirijou-senpai."

Yukari... couldn't help smelling something good as she went to the kitchen. Stepping inside, she found... Hamuko, she said her name was? She was sitting at the table, slurping from a cup of instant ramen. But... Yukari had never known instant ramen to smell this good.

"Arisato-san? What are you doing? Aren't you tired?"

Jumping a little, the ponytailed girl turned her waist to look at the brunette, the cup and chopsticks in her hands and noodles hanging out of her mouth mid-slurp. Sucking them into her mouth sloppily in a way that actually made Yukari cringe a little, the girl answered.

"Yeah, I guess I'm a little tired. But I'm way hungrier than I am tired! And please, call me Hamuko! It'd get confusing since Onii-chan is also Arisato-san."

"Um... Kind of awkward, since I just met you, but you have a point. And I see you found the instant ramen. Why does it... smell so good, though?"

Hamuko only shrugged. "I added a few things to it, I guess. Just some things you had lying around and some spices, is all."

The brunette quirked an eyebrow at that. "That's... odd."

The ponytailed girl tilted her head to the side. "In what way, Yukari-chan?"

Yukari... chan? First name basis already, and chan? Yukari would object, but she honestly found the girl's upbeat attitude and energy... oddly contagious. "I... don't know, actually. I guess since I'm not that good a cook and Kirijou-senpai doesn't do things like that, I find it odd that a girl I know can... make something as simple as instant ramen smell so good."

Hamuko shrugged again. "I guess you pick up a few things over the years when you have to cook so much."

That aroused Yukari's curiosity but... she had more pressing things to talk about. Taking a seat at the table, and noticing the ponytailed transfer student glance at the gun holstered to her hip as she did so, she waited between slurps of Hamuko's ramen before she spoke.

"Uh... Did you have any questions, Ari... Uh, Hamuko-san?"

Another slurp of ramen before the girl spoke.

"Yup! What's that contract I signed for?"

"Huh? What's this about a contract? ...What contract?"

Hamuko tilted her head to the side. "Um... okay. Does that little boy live here too?"

"What are you talking about? ...C'mon, it's not funny."

Ugh... Curse her ghost phobia! She honestly had no idea what Hamuko was talking about. Despite her cheerful nature, she didn't seem to be stupid, and caught this fact.

"Oh, well... Nevermind, then."

"What about you, Hamuko-san? Was everything okay on your way from the station?"

"What do you mean, Yukari-chan?"

Now it seemed to be Hamuko's turn to not know what the girl she was speaking to was talking about. "You know what I- ...Never mind. It seems like you're alright." She managed a small smile. "Uh, but... can I ask you about Arisato-kun?"

"Onii-chan? Sure! Ask away!"

"Okay, first thing... You're twins, right? Why call him Onii-chan?"

The ponytailed girl grinned mischievously. "I just do that to tease him! We may be twins, but I'm five minutes older, even though he's ten centimeters taller!" She giggled at that.

Yukari couldn't help but find her laugh contagious. Unlike her brother, who had very little presence and almost blended into the background, this girl seemed to brighten up the room. "Is he... normally so quiet and... inexpressive? I mean, he only nodded and shook his head when I asked him things, and only once each."

The girl nearly choked on her ramen, getting concern from the brunette. When she successfully swallowed, she shouted out "You got a response from Onii-chan?!" in alarm.

Yukari felt herself lightly sweat in nervousness. "Um... yes. Why?"

"Onii-chan doesn't respond to anyone!"

"That's... an exaggeration, right?"

"Okay, well... Yes, it is. Usually, though, I do the talking for the both of us. Onii-chan is pretty easy to read once you get used to him. But I can honestly say with no exaggeration that I can count on both hands the number of times he's spoken to someone other than me in the past ten years."

Yukari's eyes widened. "Wh-What? But... Why?"

Hamuko merely shrugged. "He's just a really laid-back guy, I guess."

The ponytailed girl said that, but... Why did the brunette think that wasn't the whole story?

"So... After you finish your ramen, I... guess you'll want to head to your room?"

"Yup! It's past midnight! I need to do some unpacking!"

"You're... not going to sleep?"

"Nah. Tonight's not a sleep night. Tomorrow is, though."

A sleep... night? The implications... Why did Yukari think... there was definitely more to the Arisato twins than met the eye?


	2. Piece 1: Birth By Sleep

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Persona 3, Persona 3: FES, Persona 3 Portable, the Persona 3 manga, or the Persona 3 movies. They belong... primarily to Atlus. And if you can't tell from this disclaimer, this fanfic will be mixing all those mediums.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Wisdom tells that sleep's embrace is reached through counting sheep. Legend says that counting heads will reach the shadows deep."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Persona 3

Two Across

By _Cyberweasel89_

**Piece 1: **Birth By Sleep

**XXXXXXXX**

Two knocks on her door.

"It's Yukari. Are you awake?"

No response. Huh... How odd. Was Hamuko asleep? Wait, that smell... The kitchen again?

Making her way to the kitchen, the smell grew, and she soon recognized what it was.

"Hey are those pancaaaaaakes?!"

"Hiya, Yukari-chan! Don't worry, I made enough for you!"

It wasn't the enormous tower of pancakes sitting on a plate at the table next to a plate with a more modest stack of them, nor even the third plate with only a single pancake on it, that scared her. Hamuko was wearing an apron, pink bra, and pink panties... and nothing else!

"Ari... H-Hamuko-san! What are you doing?!"

"Making breakfast. What else? Like I said, I made enough for you! Eat up!" she chirped, smiling and completely oblivious to how... outright inappropriate this was.

Not sure what else to do, being momentarily stunned, Yukari took a seat at the table, gazing at her stack of pancakes. She... found the instant pancake batter? Wasn't it expired?

"You stay and eat, I'm gonna go wake up Onii-chan!"

"Oh, actually, I was about to-"

"Trust me, Yukari-chan! When it comes to first thing in the morning, only I can wake Onii-chan!" She giggled, turning and walked off with her bare feet padding on the floor.

Sighing and unsure of what else to do at the moment, Yukari cut a piece from her stack of pancakes, taking a bite.

She didn't come to until a tap on her shoulder roused her. She looked up, seeing it was Minato, quirking a dark blue eyebrow at her. She looked down to see her plate empty, and it was only after the foodgasm began to subside that she realized...

Wow. Did... Did Hamuko really make that? It was... downright orgasmic. And she made those pancakes just with the instant pancake mix they had in the cabinets? Expired, no less! Hamuko, thank goodness, was fully dressed now, and her enormous tower of pancakes was gone, too. Minato's single pancake, oddly, was half finished and abandoned. It led her to wonder... how long was she out in a food coma? And how come the only thing she could remember from it was... the taste? The sheer flavor...

"Arisato-san? Are you going to finish that?" she asked, feeling... very fat for asking such a stereotypical question.

The boy merely shook his head.

"You sure? Didn't you only eat half of one?"

"Oh, don't worry, Yukari-chan! My twin bro is what I like to call an un-glutton! That half a pancake is enough to last him until lunch and then some!" she giggled.

Well, then... Normally, she'd be giving that fact more thought, but instead, the only thought that entered Yukari's head was...

Next stop, food coma relapse.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

It was on the New City passenger train, Anehazuru, that Yukari tried to get to know the Arisato twins a bit more.

"So, Hamuko-san, where did you learn to cook like that?"

The girl shrugged, smiling. "Like I said last night, I guess you just pick up a few things from necessity, ya know? Bro's the same way. He's a whiz with laundry, cleaning, dishes, and even sewing!"

Yukari quirked an eyebrow. "Arisato-san... sews?" She glanced over at the boy, who was sitting on the nearby bench, fast asleep.

"Yup! Knits, crochets, and embroiders, too!"

The brunette couldn't help giggling at that. "Wow! Maybe he should join the home economics club, or something." Hamuko only laughed at that. "Anyway, we have to take the monorail to get to the school. Bet your last school wasn't like that, huh?"

"Nope! Not at all! Onii-chan and I just walked!"

"This is my favorite part... when it feels like you're gliiiding over the sea!" Hamuko giggled at that. "Hey, don't laugh!"

"Sorry, it just sounds so corny!"

"Don't laugh."

Yukari jumped at the unfamiliar voice. She whirled around to see it coming from... Wait, did Minato just wake up? He was stretching and yawning, and no one else could have said it... Why did it seem so odd to hear his voice? And for the first time, too! "You mean, uh... You can relate, Arisato-san?"

He merely nodded. Yukari began to wonder what else there was to this boy underneath his silent, stoic exterior... "Uh... A-Anyway, our stop is Port Island Station at the end of the line. From there, we walk. Have you ever heard of Tatsumi Port Island? It's a man-made island. they built our school right in the middle." Before either of the twins could respond, she continued. "Oh, look you can see it now!"

Sure enough, the fancy school was visible in the distance, complete with blooming sakura trees.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Mornin'!" a female student called from the school's front gate.

"Morning!" Yukari called back. She turned to the twins. Hamuko was gazing around at everything, particularly the sakura trees, with a wide-eyed, child-like wonder, and it was only then Yukari noticed what a striking shade of crimson her eyes were. Was that color... natural? Minato, on the other hand, stood with his book bag in his right hand, his left in his blazer pocket, the usual bored and blank expression on his stoic face. "Well, here we are... Welcome to Gekkoukan High! You're gonna love it here!"

She led the twins inside, where they changed their shoes at the shoe lockers. "You're okay from here, right?" she asked.

"You betcha!" the ponytailed girl chirped, her hands clasped behind her back with a bright, cheery smile on her face. Wow, this girl was a little energizer bunny, wasn't she? The brunette couldn't help but feel a little jealous of her enthusiasm. But, to be honest... she admired Minato's composure more. She tended to be prone to poor decisions when worked up...

"You should go to the faculty office first to check in. It's right down the hall to the left of the front entrance. And_ that _concludes the tour!" she half-joked. "Do you have any questions before I go?"

"Ummm... Where's Onii-chan and my classrooms, Yukari-chan?"

"I think they're posted on the bulletin board, but I haven't checked yet, either." Yukari replied, pointing to the board on the wall with several students gathered around it. "Oh, but, uh... Hey..." she felt a little uncomfortable, and it probably showed on her face. Minato didn't react, but Hamuko tilted her head to the side in curiosity. Like a kitten, that one. "About last night... Don't tell anyone what you saw, okay?"

"Saw what?"

Yukari felt a small smile come to her face. "Exactly. Anyway, see ya later!"

As Yukari walked off, Hamuko ran up to the board, passing two nearby students. A girl and boy, both very tan, possibly only half-Japanese, with the girl berating the boy for wearing his gym uniform on his first day. She called him 'Kaz,' an obvious nickname, and from the way they spoke, she got the feeling they were close. This was confirmed when she mentioned she couldn't babysit him due to being in different homerooms.

Hamuko weaved her way through the students around the bulletin board. She passed a girl with an extremely long black ponytail who looked rather smart lamenting that she wasn't in the same class as some boy, and another boy who seemed to be similarly lamenting, only his gripe was that his homeroom teacher wasn't old enough for his taste in older women.

Skimming the class rosters on the board, Hamuko pouted when she couldn't find her name. "What gives? I'm not on here!" She felt a hand on her shoulder, knowing it was Minato, and watched as he pointed at a very small note with not only her name, but her brother's as well. It seemed they were both in Class F. And so was Yukari! Yay!

Across the main entrance hall, Hamuko heard a male teacher complaining about kids not respecting their elders these days. Glancing over, she saw he was standing in front of a small school store of some kind. Curiosity overpowering her, she ran over and patiently waited for the vendor to tell the teacher that if he wanted her to order more cream-filled bread, he could've just asked. That gave the red-eyed girl time to peruse her wares.

The vendor seemed to notice her. "Hm? You seem interested in what we've got on sale... You must be a new student!"

"Sure am! My twin bro and I just transferred here for the new school year!" Hamuko chirped, smiling brightly with her hands clasping her book case behind her back as Minato came up to stand behind and to her left.

"My, you're energetic! And a cute one, too! Well, word of advice, since you're new... I'm afraid I don't have enough bread for everyone, so if you want some, come early. I don't have any customers once school's out, so I can't sell that much."

The look on the ponytailed girl's face, clear genuine distress at the idea of there not being enough bread for sale, made the vendor laugh beyond her control. "Then get me a cutlet sandwich and an apple strudel, stat, nurse!" The vendor's smile crew. "Doctor, get ready to hand me the yen scalpel!"

Showing no reaction, the boy merely prepared to pay the vendor while she retrieved the food for her.

"This should be just enough to tide me over until lunch!" the girl exclaimed happily. The vendor would've found it odd... but maybe she just skipped breakfast since it was the first day.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

In the hall, they found a teacher wearing a samurai helmet and an obviously foreign boy with a French accent having a heated discussion on Japanese culture and history, particularly samurai. They seemed to be having fun. There were also two female students wandering around, confused about the location of the library. Minato held the door to the faculty office open for his sister, the girl entering as he followed after.

"Oh, are you the new students?" A teacher with neck-length, medium-brown hair reacted in slight surprise at the twins' entry. "Arisato Hamuko and Arisato Minato... Eleventh grade, correct?"

"You betcha!" Hamuko chirped, while Minato gazed around at the office with disinterest.

The teacher began flipping through pages in a file. "Wow, you've lived in a lot of different places... Let's see... In 1999... That was what, um, ten years ago? Your parents..." she gasped. "I'm sorry. I've been so busy, I didn't have time to read this beforehand."

Hamuko only maintained her cheerful smile. "Don't worry about it, ma'am. It was a long time ago."

"Okay, well... I'm Toriumi-sensei. I teach composition. Welcome to our school."

"Nice to meet ya, Toriumi-sensei!" Hamuko chirped.

"My, such enthusiasm! Girls like you should be an example for others. We could use more go-getters like you."

A light red blush spread across the red-eyed girl's face, but she kept her smile.

"Have you seen the classroom assignments? You're in 2-F. That's my class. But first, we need to go to the auditorium. The Welcoming Ceremony will be starting soon. Follow me."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

In the auditorium, the principal was giving a speech. Hamuko took a seat next to her brother, who wasted no time in falling asleep.

"As you begin the new school year, I'd like each of you to remember the proverb 'if a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well.' When applied to student life, this means..."

Hamuko tried to pay attention, but... she began to hear students around her whispering about something.

"I heard we got two new transfer students."

"Yep. I've seen them, too. They came to school with Yukari."

"The auburn-haired one is a total cutie!"

"Yeah, and even I have to admit her blue-haired brother is downright pretty for a boy!"

She tried to ignore the rumors, but...

"Psst... Hey..."

Sighing, and without looking at the student behind her, she asked "What is it?" through grit teeth.

"You came to school with Yukari this morning, right?" the boy asked. "I saw you two walking together. Hey, I have a question. Do you know if she has a boyfriend?"

Hamuko sighed again. Odd question. Was Yukari popular, or something? "I don't know."

"I see. I thought you might know, but... I guess not. What about you? Do you have a boyfriend?"

She felt her face light up. "Um... N-No..."

"Interesting... And what about your bro-"

"Now just a minute here!"

"I hear talking! I believe it's someone in Toriumi-sensei's class." a middle-aged teacher in a blue suit reprimanded the nearby students. Hamuko recognized him as the same one that was complaining to the vendor at the school store.

"Shhh! Be quiet! You're going to get me in trouble!" Toriumi-sensei growled.

Hamuko tried to sink into her seat, blushing like mad. It didn't seem like the rumors would stop anytime soon...

**XXXXXXXXXX**

It was after class later that day that Hamuko was putting away her books and tape recorder when she noticed some boy with a goatee and baseball cap walk up to her brother, still asleep in his desk.

"Sup, dude?" The dark blue-haired boy stirred, likely having just begun to awaken on his own already, or he wouldn't have woken up at all. "How's it goin? Haha! You look like a deer in headlights." he greeted, patting the boy on the back rather forcefully.

The blue-haired boy quirked an eyebrow at him. "Personal space." he stated flatly. Hamuko was surprised Junpei got her twin brother to speak. Wow!

"Oh, come on. Don't be so standoffish! Let me introduce myself, at least. I'm Iori Junpei. Nice to meet ya. Call me Junpei!" he thrust his thumb at himself, leaning in close.

"Personal space." Minato repeated, his tone unchanging.

"I transferred here when I was in eighth grade. I know how tough it is bein' the new kid... so I wanted to say hey! Heh! See what a nice guy I am?"

From nearby, Yukari, who was putting her things away herself, sighed.

"Hey, it's Yuka-tan!" the boy greeted, a grin on his face. "I didn't think we'd be in the same class again!"

"At it again, huh? I swear, you'll talk to anyone if they'll listen. Did you ever think you might be bothering someone?"

"What? But I was just bein' friendly!" Junpei defended, exaggeratedly incredulous. "Ain't that right, new kid?"

As Junpei reached for Minato again, in an instant, his wrist was locked in a left-handed vice grip. "Personal space." the blue-haired boy repeated again, the same deadpan tone as the last two times.

"Yeeow!" Junpei cried, pulling his hand back and waving it like it was in pain. "Damn! You've got a grip a steel there, transfer student! I didn't even see your arm move!"

Hamuko looked to see Yukari laughing despite herself.

"Sorry, Junpei-kun. Onii-chan's... not exactly a people person." Hamuko giggled.

And in a flash, the boy in the baseball cap was by her side. "Let's see... He hurt my wrist. You're giggling and smiling. Think I'll stick with you!"

"Fine with me, Junpei-kun! I'm Arisato Hamuko. Onii-chan over there is Arisato Minato."

"Sweet! Hey, I know how tough it is bein' the new kid. You're lucky you're not freakin' out on your first day!"

"Ugh... Honestly, is there any girl you wouldn't hit on?" Yukari groaned.

"Hey! She talked to me first!" Junpei defended. Hamuko brought her hand to her mouth and giggled. These two bickered, by they were obviously close. She could tell. In fact, she'd swear there was some shipping opportunities between the two.

"Anyway, some coincidence that we'd be in the same homeroom, huh?" Yukari said.

"Yup! I'm just glad to have a friend." the red-eyed girl replied, a big smile on her face.

"A friend? Oh... you mean me." Hmmm... Why did she seem a little uncomfortable with that? "Yeah, I... I'm glad we ended up in the same class, too."

"Um, hello? Are you forgetting that I'm in this class, too? C'mon, lemme in on the fun! By the way, do you guys know each other? I heard you three came to school together this morning. What's up with that? C'mon, gimme the dirt! A couple a cuties like you, walking alongside a guy... The whole class was buzzing about you."

"Wh-What are you talking about?!" Yukari exclaimed, incredulous. "We live in the same dorm. There's nothing going on, okay? Why are people even talking about it? Now you have me worried..."

Hamuko's face rose into an exaggeratedly innocent smile. "Oh, it's all true, Junpei-kun. Yukari-chan and I are totally going out. And Onii-chan here is our bodyguard."

Yukari's jaw dropped, while Junpei burst out into uproarious laughter. Minato, of course, showed no reaction. In fact, he seemed to be dozing off again.

"Ugh! Could you just cut it out? I hate dealing with rumors like that! I mean, I'm used to it, but you just got here, Hamuko-san! You shouldn't encourage Junpei like that!"

"Oh, c'mon! Junpei-kun and I are just havin' fun, right Jun-kuuuun?"

"Don't you know it, Hamu-taaaaan?"

Yukari sighed. Were these two long-list siblings, or something? Cringing at the thought of there being a female Junpei to enable the male one, the brunette walked over to where Minato was sitting at his desk, just beginning to nod off.

"Hey..." He looked up, blinking groggily. "You didn't say anything to anyone about... you know what, did you?" the brunette asked, worry in her voice.

Minato only shook his head slowly back and forth.

"Okay, good." Yukari sighed, relieved. "Seriously, though... Don't say anything about last night, alright?"

Junpei cast the girl a confused look.

"Wh-What?"

"L-Last night...?" Junpei stammered.

"W-Wait a minute! Don't get the wrong idea! Listen! I just met him yesterday, and there's absolutely nothing between us! Geez... I've gotta go. I've got something to take care of for the archery team. But, you better not start any rumors! And don't try anything funny with Hamuko-san, you got that, Junpei?"

"Sure. And I won't ask why you're referring to her by given name, either." he jabbed, smirking.

Blushing like mad, Yukari turned and hurried out of the room.

"Aw, who cares? No one takes rumors seriously, anyway. She's so paranoid... Besides, what is she, your nanny?" Junpei dismissed. Hamuko giggled in response. The boy in the baseball cap turned to Minato. "But hey! It's your first day here, and people are already talkin' about you! Believe it or not, Yukari's actually pretty popular. You da man! Heheh! This is gonna be a fun year. I can feel it!"

Minato showed no response, merely blinking slowly like he was still half-asleep.

Turning to Hamuko, Junpei looked a little uncomfortable. "Oh, and just to clear something up, I seriously wasn't trying to hit on you or anything. If you ever have a problem, you can tell your ol' pal Junpei about it!"

"Thanks! I'll remember that, Junpei-kun!"

"No prob! My doors always open. Heh, so to speak. In fact, how about I walk you back to your dorm to show how nice a guy I am?"

"Swoooooon!" Hamuko teased, earning a laugh from the boy in the baseball cap. She turned to Minato. "Onii-chan? You going to join us?"

His eyes half-lidded, the boy mere shook his head, finally nodding off in his seat.

"Is your brother always this much of a sleepyhead?" Junpei whispered to the red-eyed girl like it was a conspiracy.

"You have no idea." she whispered back, playing along.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Whoa, check out the jocks on their run..." Junpei mused, gazing over at the spectacle. "Hey, did anyone tell you about school clubs yet? Girls can join too, so why not do it if you're interested? You'd be joining as a new member, though, so you won't be able to apply for a little while."

"Hmmm... I'll keep that in mind. I could do with some extra things to fill my day. Thanks, Jun-kun!" Hamuko chirped.

"No problem, Hamu-chan!"

The two made small talk on the way to Iwatodai dorm, finding it the easiest thing in the world to do, just trading conversation back and forth. Their personalities... oddly melded.

No dating, though. When the conversation inevitably led there, they agreed: It'd be like dating yourself or your sibling. Ew.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Meanwhile, as Yukari was leaving the archery club, she felt a hand on her shoulder, making her jump. Whirling around, she saw it was...

"Arisato-kun?" He merely nodded. "What are you doing?" He gestured with his thumb behind him. "Are you... going to walk me back to the dorm?" He nodded. "That's... oddly nice of you." she felt a small smile come to her face.

As she walked alongside the blue-haired boy, she couldn't help finding his presence... oddly calming. Sure, Hamuko was a big bundle of sunshine, but Yukari honestly felt she couldn't keep up with the girl's energy. Minato, on the other hand... It wasn't just his constant tranquility that eased her nerves. His silence was... almost like a black hole that she felt the need to fill with lots and lots of words.

She did so as they walked back to Iwatodai. She talked non stop about anything that came to mind, while he... Well, the most she could get out of him was a nod, shake of the head, or quirk of the eyebrow. She was beginning to learn how to decipher his subtle body language, and, honestly?

She couldn't believe how easy it was to talk to someone who barely said a word.

And... it oddly worked.

She talked about the clubs, too, and how he might want to join some. When the topic turned to Junpei, though... She knew... she might've found the first male friend who hadn't, and wouldn't, hit on her.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Mitsuru looked up to see Yukari and the two new students enter as she sat on the couch, reading a book. "Welcome back." she greeted them.

"Hiya, Senpai!" Hamuko cheered, unbuttoning her uniform blazer. Minato was... doing the same?

"What are you-" Before she could finish, both were out of the common area. She turned to a wide-eyed Yukari. "Takeba, what is Arisato doing?!"

"She's... cooking us dinner."

Mitsuru went through a mental blue screen of death for a moment and had to reboot. "And the other Arisato?"

"Well, if want Hamuko-san said is true, he's going to..." Mitsuru shakily reached for her coffee. "Dust the rec room, thoroughly and completely clean the bathrooms, do the laundry, and after dinner, do the dishes."

Mitsuru, her hands shaking even more, but remaining composed otherwise, scoffed. "He'll be at it all night. Besides, the Dark Hour is in two hours." She began to sip her coffee.

"Actually, um... Hamuko-san says he can have it done... Within the hour. Tops."

Mitsuru spit her coffee out. "An hour?!"

Yukari looked extremely uncomfortable, even rubbing her bicep in uncharacteristic meekness. "That's what I said. Hamuko-san's exact reply was, and I quote... Hey, don't blame Onii-chan. He can't pull off his usual half-hour with a building he's unfamiliar with."

Mitsuru clutched at where her heart was. Yukari... decided not to tell her just how good Hamuko's cooking was. It'd... likely kill her.

**XXXXXXXXXXX**

As Mitsuru sat at the dining table with Yukari and Minato, she tried to ignore many things.

The first was that Arisato Hamuko was currently serving them while dressed in nothing but a bra, panties, apron, and very spring cleaning housewife-like bandana over the top of her head.

She tried even harder to ignore the fact that Arisato Minato sat at the table the same way, only wearing an apron, boxers, and a head wrap, invoking the image of a house husband that Mitsuru was having trouble not lapsing into fantasies about.

She also tried to ignore the fact that the entire dorm was sparkling clean and flawlessly spotless, and it only took the boy about fifty minutes.

"What... is this, Hamuko-san?"

"I call it... Ramen stir-fry! My own original recipe, Yukari-chan!"

"Ramen... stir-fry?" Mitsuru questioned. Ramen was... generally below the standard of class she was used to back home.

"Well, I noticed you guys had a lot of instant ramen! So I made this."

"With?" the two other girls asked at the same time.

"Let's see... I found a bag of frozen vegetables way deep in the back of the freezer, mostly covered in frost, so I added those in. Then I found some leftover meat, so I added that in. Then it was just a matter of boiling the ramen, then stir-frying it all in oil."

"You... put this together with leftovers? Most of which was no doubt expired?" Mitsuru grimaced. It looked fine, but now that she knew what it was...

Yukari glanced over at Minato, already using his fork to slowly and meticulously eat his plate of 'ramen stir-fry.' He... seemed fine. No signs of poison. But... no other reaction, either. Heh! LIke always, she noted. But... considering how good Hamuko's food was, she couldn't help but find it odd that Minato didn't outright orgasm like she did.

Curious, Yukari twirled some of the boiled and stir-fried noodles onto her fork, giving it a sniff. It... smelled nice, she noted. Steeling herself, she placed it in her mouth.

"Takeba! What's wrong?"

"Oh, don't worry, Senpai. The crying is normal. It took some of my relatives a while to get over that, actually"

"And... the trembling all over?"

"That's new, to be honest."

"It looks like she's being electrocuted..."

"Like I said, Senpai, that's new to me!" she giggled.

Shrugging, and pinching her nose, Mitsuru placed a fork of the 'ramen stir-fry' in her mouth.

And that was the day... Kirijou Mitsuru... had her first food-induced orgasm.

When a student about Mitsuru's age with shortly-cut gray hair and a bandage on his temple walked by the dining area, the redhead and Yukari seemed oblivious to him, currently pitching tents in their own stomachs. The boy jumped when he noticed Hamuko dressed in underwear and an apron, and it was only when the red-eyed girl excused herself to the bathroom that the boy introduced himself as Akihiko and explained he was heading outside 'for some practice.' Hamuko, answering from the bathroom, said she'd deliver his message to the other two girls when they returned from orbit. He also, out of 'morbid curiosity,' as he phrased it, asked them to save him 'a plate of that shit.'

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Did you hear the rumor?"

"Oh, um... something about... a bathroom?"

"N-No! Not that one! I mean the story about the first-year student! Not only did she stop coming to school, she does nothing but sit and stare at the walls all day. If her mother tries to talk to her, she only mutters to herself, 'it's coming... It's coming...!'"

"Huh. How about that."

"You don't believe me?"

"No, I do! It's all over the news. People who've had no problems before are suddenly developing acute cases of Apathy Syndrome. One guy even jumped in front of a train the day before school began! They say it's due to stress, but..."

Hamuko furrowed her brow at what she was hearing from the loud, gossiping students on the monorail. Her brother and Yukari were next to her, chatting away... sort of. Yukari was talking. Minato was just nodding or shaking his head and quirking an eyebrow. But that gave Hamuko time to herself, figuring it wasn't often her Onii-chan had someone so interested in talking to him besides her, so she overheard the conversation nearby. Apathy Syndrome... she'd never heard of that before.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

As the trio arrived at homeroom, Minato wasted no time in falling asleep, while Hamuko got out her audio recorder, notebook, and textbook.

"Open your textbooks and we'll take a look at the first novel by... Kasai Zenzou." Toriumi-sensei directed the class. "Ugh... Why him?" she lamented. "I'd rather teach about Kubota Utsubo. He became famous as a singer, but he's also produced fine literature. I wonder why it's not in the textbook. Well, I'll just bring Kubota's book next time."

Hamuko glanced over at Junpei, who seemed to be playing a video game on a PSP under his desk.

"Hey, Iori! Were you listening?"

"H-Huh?" the boy in the baseball cap jumped.

"Who did I say was my favorite author?"

"U-Ummm..."

The boy gazed around the room, desperate for an answer. Hamuko hastily scribbled down something in her notebook, holding it up toward him while not looking.

"Kubota Utsubo of course!" the boy answered confidently.

"That's right! So you were listening to me after all!"

"Eheheh... Well, you know how I like to pay attention!" he chuckled nervously. When Toriumi-sensei walked away, Junpei leaned in. "Man, you saved my bacon, Hamuko!" The girl just smiled.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Mitsuru came to get Yukari just as class ended, asking her to come with her, and Junpei also left class in a hurry, so the Arisato twins decided to return to the dorm. Minato listened to his earphones the entire time, leaving Hamuko craving a good conversation. After spending that morning just thinking on the train, she had a social interaction need to satisfy.

Hamuko heard giggling, then the sound of books crashing to the ground.

"Moriyama-san, please stop..." a meek female voice said.

"Why? We're inspecting your personal belongings for you." another's girls voice replied.

Another girl cackled. "That's goody-goody Fuuka for you! No fun stuff on her at all! Continue to behave yourself!"

"Come on!"

"We're so nice, it's scary!"

Hamuko clenched her first, but next thing she knew, her brother was standing between the girl on the ground and the three girls.

"Whoa! Where'd you come from, blue-hair?"

Minato said nothing, merely standing with his right arm clutching his bag and his left hand in his blazer pocket, his face bearing its usual stoic expression.

"Piss off, kid! This doesn't involve you!"

When Minato continued to not respond, one of the girls stepped forward. "Fine then! Take this!"

The girl pulled herself into a karate stance, bringing her right hand in for a punch. Fuuka's eyes widened as Minato showed no reaction to the punch headed straight for him, but in the blink of an eye, the girl's fist was clenched in Minato's left palm, his fingers tightly grasping it in a vicegrip.

"What? But... How? Rozu-chan's on the karate club! She's been practicing it since she could walk! Her punch can break through a wooden plank with no wind-up! How can his scrawny arm just catch it like that? And so easily!"

"Crap! I didn't even see his arm move! And his hand was in his pocket, too! How could he pull it out so fast?!"

"Shit, let's get out of here!"

The other two girls ran, but girl who attacked found she couldn't pull her fist out of Minato's vicegrip. "Y-You'll pay for this, blue-hair!" she growled. When Minato finally let go, the girl reeled back, landing on her ass. She scrambled up and made a mad, fearful dash after her two friends.

Turning, Minato knelt down and began helping the girl with the teal hair pick up her books, his expression not changing once.

"Thank you for helping me..." the girl said as she looked at the blue-haired boy, her voice barely above a whisper.

Not saying anything, Minato handed her back her books.

"Um, I'm sorry to be a bother..." she continued, gazing up at the boy as he stood up to his full height, his left hand returning to its usual place in his pocket. Then, like it was no big deal, he walked off, leaving the teal-haired girl to gaze at him with a light blush on her face.

Hamuko smiled from where she watched at a distance. It wasn't often that her brother played the part of the white knight... If he hadn't made her promise not to involve him with her ship captain habit, she honestly would've tried to ship her Onii-chan and the mysterious girl.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Yukari was brought to Chairman Ikutsuki's office, where Mitsuru sat on a couch and began perusing a file, Yukari sitting on the sofa across from her.

"It's pretty unusual to see you at school, Chairman." Yukari addressed the distinguished man at the office desk.

"When Kirijou told me about them, I couldn't contain my curiosity."

"Then, you think they're also-"

"It's almost certain." Mitsuru interrupted in confirmation.

"Takeba, I'd like you to monitor their activities up close for a while." Ikutsuki requested.

"By which, you mean spy on them?" Yukari inquired, bringing her knees together with her hands atop them.

Ikutsuki swiveled his chair around to face the brunette, clasping his hands under his chin with his elbows on his desk. "I suppose I do."

"Skim through these, Takeba." Mitsuru directed, handing the girl two black booklets. Yukari opened the top one to see it was a background report on Arisato Minato, the other one no doubt for Hamuko.

"I feel a little bad about doing this..." she murmured, trying to only look at the basic info listed and mentally block out anything more private in the report. "They don't know anything yet."

"This is necessary to determine if they're qualified to know." Mitsuru calmly stated.

"I understand that, but still..."

"They seem to have bounced around from school to school. They've been moving from relative to relative. They're parents are dead." That gave Yukari pause, her eyes widening. "And they died in the accident that happened in this city ten years ago." Ikutsuki explained.

"That's a strange coincidence." Mitsuru mused.

Yukari looked back down at the reports in her hands. Hamuko's smile in her file photo was blinding, but Minato's... a stoic expression so blank it... almost couldn't be called an expression.

"The accident ten years ago..." she murmured.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

When they arrived at the dormitory lounge, Yukari was already there, talking with a man Hamuko didn't recognize.

"Oh, they're back." the archer pointed out, turning as the brother and sister entered.

"So, these are our new guests... Good evening." the man greeted politely. His brown hair was rather long, reaching past his shoulders, reading glasses resting atop his nose and just a bit of facial hair on his chin. Hamuko couldn't help but find him sophisticated and rather gentlemanly-looking. "My name is Ikutsuki Shuji. I'm the Chairman of the Board for your school. Ikutsuki... Heh heh! Hard to say, isn't it? That's why I don't like introducing myself. Even _I_ get tongue-tied sometimes."

"No problem, Ikutsuki-san! I'm Arisato Hamuko, and my twin bro over there is Arisato Minato! Nice to meet ya!" Hamuko greeted, while Minato showed no response, though he _did_ turn off his MP3 player.

"My, aren't you full of energy? And at such a late hour, as well. I apologize for the confusion regarding your accommodations. However, it may take a while longer before you receive the proper room assignment."

"No problem, Ojiji-san!"

Yukari would've done a spit-take had she been drinking something just then! How could Hamuko address the school's Chairman of the Board so informally like that? She'd only just met him! To her surprise, though, Ikutsuki didn't even quirk an eyebrow.

"So, Arisato-"

"Oh, please, call me Hamuko! Onii-chan is Arisato, too, so it'd get confusing." she lightly bonked herself on the head for emphasis.

Ikutsuki only smiled his calm, charming smile. "Very well. Did you have any questions, Hamuko?"

"Ummm... Yeah. What brings you here, Ojiji-san?"

Yukari felt herself cringe at such an impolite title for a man of Ikutsuki-sama's stature, but the man didn't seem to mind at all.

"To welcome you, of course. Speaking of which... Where's Mitsuru, Yukari?" he turned to the archery team member.

"She's upstairs."

"As diligent as always. Although, it doesn't hurt to come down and say hello."

"Okies. So, who else lives here, Ojiji-san?"

"There are only five students in this dorm. You, your brother, Yukari here, Mitsuru... And a senior named Sanada Akihiko."

"Oh! We met him last night at dinner!"

The Chairman quirked an eyebrow. "Dinner?"

"Yup! I cooked dinner for everyone! Onii-chan dusted the lounge, cleaned the bathrooms, did the laundry, and washed the dishes, too!"

The Chairman smiled. "My, my. This is a pleasant surprise. It seems you all will get along quite well. I hope you have a successful school year. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must take my leave. You must be tired from all the excitement. You should go to bed early. As they say, the early bird catches the bookworm! Please forgive the bad pun." He chuckled.

Yukari sighed. "You'll get used to his lame jokes."

"Yup! And early to bed, early to rise! Makes a man healthy unless he eats too many french fries!"

Yukari's eyes widened. For the first time since the archer had known him... The Chairman lost composure and burst out laughing, though in a dignified way. Hamuko joined him in a giggling fit. She cast a glance at Minato, comforted by the fact that he shot her the same look of silent desperation she was sending him.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

As Mitsuru stood in front of the monitor, sipping her mug of coffee, the door opened, Ikutsuki stepping inside with Yukari. "Working hard?" he greeted her pleasantly.

"Did Sanada-senpai go out alone again tonight?" Yukari asked.

"Yes... I hope nothing happens." Mitsuru sighed.

"So, how are they doing?" Ikutsuki asked.

"He went to bed a little while ago. He's asleep now. She's downstairs, eating dinner. Chairman-san, do you think they're...?"

"Well, let's wait and see for now. The Dark Hour is approaching."

Sure enough, the clock struck midnight, the lights going out. The world was tinted green. Only the specially-made electronics in the Iwatodai dorm still functioned.

"Hmm... He's still sleeping. And she's still eating her dinner." Ikutsuki mused as he watched the monitors for Minato's room and the kitchen. "The Dark Hour occurs every day at twelve midnight. You could say it's the 'hidden' hour. During this time, an ordinary person transmogrifies into a coffin, and is oblivious to all that occurs.

"Then, they must be?" Yukari began.

"As you can see, they've retained their human forms. Minato is asleep, but he's definitely experiencing the Dark Hour. Hamuko is experiencing it as well, but hasn't shown any reaction. How odd... The only question that remains is whether or not they have the potential. Although, they must. If they didn't, they would've preyed on them by now."

"Still, though... Twin brother and sister, and they both experience the Dark Hour? I don't think there's any precedent for that..." Yukari mused, worry in her voice.

"In any case, we should continue to monitor them for a few more days." Ikutsuki explained.

"Yes, sir." Mitsuru agreed.

"I feel kinda bad, though, spying on them like this..."

Mitsuru decided not to point out the fact that she had watched Minato strip to his boxers on camera just before Ikutsuki and Yukari entered.


	3. Piece 2: Greatness Awaits

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Persona 3, Persona 3: FES, Persona 3 Portable, the Persona 3 manga, or the Persona 3 movies. They belong... primarily to Atlus. And if you can't tell from this disclaimer, this fanfic will be mixing all those mediums.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Who are you not to be great? You... with the imagination of a brilliant child and the powers of an ancient god. Who are you to be ordinary? You, who can... resend life... or raise the dead. Who are you to be afraid? You who can serve as judge and jury while hoarding infinite lives. Who are you to be a slave to the past? You, who can travel time like the oceans, and rewrite history with a single word! Who are you to be anonymous? You... who's name should be spoken in reverent tones, or in terrified whispers! And who are you to deny greatness? If you would deny it to yourself, you'd deny it to the entire world! And we will not be denied."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Persona 3

Two Across

By _Cyberweasel89_

**Piece 2: **Greatness Awaits

**XXXXXXXX**

A group of young people had gathered in an alleyway, listening to a radio and enjoying some cans of beer. Akihiko hung nearby, gazing at a nearby clock. It was almost time for the Dark Hour...

Midnight struck just as one of the men in the alleyway was yawning, and he didn't become a coffin with the others. It was mere moments before he began screaming, melting out of his clothes into a pile of black goop. Out of the goop emerged a Shadow. Akihiko recognized it as what they dubbed a Cowardly Maya.

The silver-haired boy dashed in, rearing his right fist back just as the Shadow turned around and clocking it right in the mask with a right jab. The Cowardly Maya went flying several feet away, scurrying off into an alley.

"What the... It's escaping?" The boxer drew his Evoker from its holster. "I don't have the patience... for dealing with gutless cowards."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"...Master... Master Arisato Hamuko..."

She seemed to be soaring across a black and white checkered floor, zooming toward a door that opened just as she neared, enveloping her in a bright white light.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a very large elevator, intricate metal grating on the far wall showing they were going up at that very moment. The entire room was a shade of violet-like blue, with a table in the center. An old man sat in a comfortable armchair across the table from where she stood, the hands of a clock on the wall moving at a rapid pace, while four doors sat in the four corners of the room, not connected to walls, with two of them covered in blue sheets. It was... eerie.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room, my dear sweet child. My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance." the man seated in the armchair greeted her, his elbows on the table and his hands clasped together, just in front of his mouth.

Wow... That... Dat nose, doe! Yikes.

"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. Only those who have signed the contract can enter this place. It has been years since we last welcomed a guest."

She looked down to see the red booklet with the contract she had signed at the dorm appear on the table in a flash of blue light, opening with a wave of Igor's hand, with her and her brother's signatures on it.

"Henceforth, you shall be welcome here as a guest in the Velvet Room. You are destined to hone your unique ability, and you will require my help to do so. I only ask one thing in return..."

"And that is?"

"That you abide by the contract, and assume responsibility for the choices you make."

"Wow. Is this a dream?"

"Not quite... You are wide awake in the real world as we speak. This visit of yours is what you might call a... daydream. However, you will come here of your own accord, sooner or later. And when you leave, no time will have passed."

"Wow. That's trippy."

"indeed! Now, hold on to this..."

In a flash of golden light and sparkles, an intricate gold key appeared over the table. If floated over to Hamuko, the girl holding her hand out as it dropped into her palm.

"This key signifies that you are a guest of the Velvet Room. Take good care of it."

"Uhh... Sure thing, Igor-dono."

The mysterious old man showed no reaction to her old-fashioned and overly formal honorific. "There is still one more resident of this room, who unfortunately could not be present for your arrival. But I will make sure you two are properly introduced. Another time, perhaps."

"Um... Okay."

"Until we meet again, sweet child."

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"The boy of the twins... How is Arisato Minato doing?" Mitsuru asked Yukari.

"He's doing well... Why?"

"Well... That's good if it's true, but... Takeba... I have a favor to ask. He is powerless. In the off chance that something happens... protect him."

"In... the off chance?"

"You don't need to be overly worried. Akihiko and I will also help."

"But... What about Hamuko-san? Why are you only asking me to protect Arisato-kun?"

"Takeba... You didn't read their files, did you?"

She swallowed hard. "I... didn't want to invade their privacy..."

"Both have a surprising quantity of medical problems,Takeba... But compared to her brother... The sister Arisato's won't interfere in a life or death situation."

"What... do you mean, Kirijou-senpai?"

"You should really read the files, Takeba."

Yukari gazed down at the ground... But... it just felt wrong...

**XXXXXXXXXX**

As the three left the dorm and headed to school, Junpei met up with them at the front gate.

"Yo! Ham-tan, how's it goin'?"

"Sup, sup, Jun-kun?"

Yukari sighed. "Should I be worried how friendly you two are?"

"Man, I'm so sleepy today."

Hamuko giggled. "You sound like my brother. Right, Onii-chan?"

The blue-haired boy showed no reaction, though he honestly looked like he might fall asleep as he walked right then and there. Yukari couldn't help worrying about him... Was it normal for a boy to sleep this much? Then again, she could say the same for Hamuko and her eating habits. That was some appetite that girl had. How did she keep her figure?

"In times like these, it's best to sleep during class! You ever notice how sometimes taking a nap in class makes you feel more refreshed than sleeping at home?"

"Don't sleep in class." Yukari stated coldly.

"Whaaat? Why do you have to be all serious?" Junpei exclaimed in clear exaggeration. "That feeling of being completely recharged is awesome... You go from dead to being completely full of energy again! It's such a great feeling. But I'm screwed later since I didn't hear the lecture! Oh, but we have classic literature today... That means we're stuck with nasty ol' Ekoda-sensei..."

"You know, Jun-kun, I record the lectures for Onii-chan on an audio recorder so he can get all the sleep he needs in class. I could give you a copy if you want."

Junpei's eyes got all big and puppy-like. "You'd do that for me, Ham-tan?"

"You betcha!" the red-eyed girl chirped.

"Ugh! Don't encourage him, Hamuko-san! I swear, you're enabling him or something!"

Yukari jumped when she heard a chuckle. Whirling around she saw it was... Minato? His expression didn't change but... had he really chuckled?

Hamuko, nearby, was casting a smile in the two's direction.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Ahem... I'm Ekoda-sensei. I'll be teaching you classic literature. I'll be teaching you about good old Japan all year. Some people say classic lit isn't relevant to everyday life, but oh, how they're wrong! The students, the other teachers... Wrong, wrong, wrong! Nobody really understands classic lit..."

Hmmm... Hamuko recognized this teacher. He was the one complaining to the school store vendor and ordered her and that gossiper to be quiet during the opening ceremony.

"Hey... Are you all listening to me? Wake up, children! Now open your textbooks. First on our syllabus is 'Ise Monogatari,' the origin of Japanese literature. It's a very interesting story. You youngsters might call it 'da bomb.'"

One could swear they heard the sound of crickets chirping. Ekoda-sensei sighed. "I can tell you people are 'zoning out.'"

Hamuko raised her hand. "The Tale of Ise, right? Dating from the Heian period? Is it true that the original author is unknown, only speculated?"

"Very good! It seems at least one of you understands the importance of classic literature, if only a little. Yes, officially, the original author of Ise Monogatari is unknown, but it's been speculated to be Ki no Tsurayuki. Others have, based on the title of the work, guessed that it may have been composed by the poetess Lady Ise, but this is generally taken as unlikely, as none of the other known works of that period use the names of their authors as their principal titles."

"And is it true that the main character is nameless and unknown, Ekoda-sensei?" another student asked.

"Quite true, actually! The identity of the nameless, idealised central character is as ambiguous as the original author, but is suggested to be Ariwara no Narihira."

"So, what's the story about, Ekoda-sensei?"

"Well, to be specific, Ise Monogatari is less a single story and more a collection of waka poems and associated narratives. The current version collects one hundred and twenty-five sections, with each combining poems and prose, giving a total of two hundred and nine poems in most versions!"

Sparked purely by Hamuko's interjection, the classroom was soon alight with questions and note-taking, with the red-eyed girl later being told that Ekoda-sensei showed a lot more enthusiasm in his lesson than he usually did.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Sup sup, Ham-tan!"

"Yo, Jun-kun! What's shakin'?"

"I owe you lunch is what's shakin'!"

That gave Hamuko pause. "R... Really?" she asked, her eyes going big, watery, and puppy-like, despite their odd red color.

"You bet!" Junpei explained, unphased. "You gave me the answer yesterday, and you said you'd share your lecture recordings, so... I owe you lunch! Besides, I can show you the station, too! You're new in town, after all, and it might be a good idea to-"

Hamuko jumped from her desk and tackled the boy in the baseball cap to the floor in one motion. "Oh, Jun-kun! I think I love you! You're so awesome! You made me so happy!"

"Uhhh... No problem, Ham-tan." Junpei groaned. Wow, he'd heard the way to a boy's heart was through his stomach, but... who knew the way to a girl's friendship was through hers?

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Yukari had been silently observing Minato all day. Currently, since his sister had gone to the mall with Junpei alone, he was left to his own devices. He's spent the past hour wandering from spot to spot, taking five minute naps in each place with something to sit on. The brunette wasn't sure, but she could've sworn... he was searching for the best spot in the school to take a nap in? He finally settled on a spot just under a blooming sakura tree, which Yukari had to admit, was a pretty nice spot.

But... she couldn't help but feel like she was creeping. The Chairman had told her to observe him more closely, and Mitsuru had told her to protect him, but... that didn't mean she had to stalk him, right?

Climbing out from around the corner, she walked up to the blue-haired boy, finding him sleeping silently on the bench. She... couldn't help but notice how peaceful he looked. Sure, Arisato Minato slept more than any human should... but after watching him do it so much, she was beginning to realize that... maybe he was only truly himself when within his own dreamland?

"Um... Arisato-kun?"

The boy's eyes fluttered open as he was gently roused from his slumber. Stretching his arms and silently yawning, he turned to gaze at the brunette. Wow, even his yawns were quiet...

"Um... I have some time after school... I was wondering if you wanted to come with me to the mall? You're new here, after all, so I figured I could give you a little tour."

His face didn't change, but... those icy blue eyes, did they... warm a little? Minato merely nodded, which was enough to bring a smile to Yukari's face.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Welcome to Iwatodai Station! Whenever I hang out with the guys from school, we usually end up here. There's a burger joint, a candy shop, and, oh, oh! This is where you come to buy awesome manga, too. Anyway, there's this great restaurant with traditional Japanese cuisine over here, called Wakatsu. C'mon, let's go eat there."

Hamuko shuffled nervously. "Hang on, I gotta make a quick pit stop. Be right back!"

Junpei watched as she ran off to the bathroom in what he could only describe as a life-or-death dash. Hmm... Kinda odd, but who was he to pass judgment?

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"This is Paulownia Mall! Just don't try to say that name too fast, eh heh!"

Minato showed no reaction to her joke. He seemed to be gazing around at the stores with disinterest.

"Um... A lot of Gekkoukan students come here after school. There's a karaoke box and a CD shop. Oh, and a really great cafe, too! There's also a nightclub, but that's kinda not for us yet."

Minato's icy blue eyes finally settled on her, showing no expression. "How about I take you to the cafe, Arisato-kun? That might be fun!"

The boy simply shrugged. "Whatever."

Despite the indifferent answer... she actually felt accomplished that she actually got him to say something.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"For you, sir, I have a bowl of our deluxe ramen, a side-order of gyoza, and a medium Fountain Dew."

"Thanks!" Junpei grinned as the waitress placed his order in front of him.

"As for you, young lady, I have one order of yakisoba, one order of gyudon donburi, one order of hayashi stew, one order of curry rice, one order of yakizakana, one order of kitsune udon, one order of chanko nabe, one order of tankatsu, one order of miso soup, one order of hambagu, aaaaaand... one extra large Dr. Salt."

Junpei's jaw dropped. "Holy crap! That's ten courses! And chanko nabe? What are you, a sumo wrestler?"

"Oh? This is actually a lot less than I usually get."

Junpei entered into a very minor mental blue screen of death, but rebooted in record time. "Christ! Am I gonna have to wait when I'm done for you to finish all that?"

"Oh? You wanna see who can eat faster?" the girl grinned.

Junpei sent her a competitive glare from across the table, a jolt of lightning passing between them that made everyone in Wakatsu Restaurant feel chills. "You're on!"

it was then that Junpei learned... never challenge Arisato Hamuko to an eating contest. That girl's stomach was bottomless...

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Yukari brought Minato to Chagall Cafe.

"What can I get you?" the waitress asked.

"Ummm... Just a coffee with cream and two sugars please? What about you, Arisato-kun?"

"Ice."

"Ice water? Got it." the waitress replied.

"No. Just ice."

The waitress quirked an eyebrow. "Uh... You got it. Just ice, then."

That confused Yukari. Was he just asking for that because she said she'd treat him? If so, why not ask for ice water instead of just ice? Both were free.

Oh! Hang on... Didn't Minato sleep through lunch? He was probably hungry by now...

Getting up, Yukari ran up to the counter and ordered the first thing she saw. When she came back, she saw Minato had been given a glass of just ice, and seemed to be chewing on something. As she approached, she saw him reach into his glass and grab a handful of ice, placing it in his mouth and... chewing on it. That... was odd, she had to say.

"Um, Arisato-kun?" He gave her a sideways glance. "I noticed you skipped lunch, and I figured you might be hungry, so... I got you a blueberry muffin. I hope you're not allergic or anything, heh!"

She placed the muffin in front of the blue-haired boy, who eyed it. His expression was blank, even as he seemed to be staring down the muffin placed before him. Shrugging, Yukari noticed the barista waving her over, so she ran up and retrieved her coffee. When she returned to her table, she took her seat across from Minato.

"So, Arisato-kun, I-" she gasped upon looking up at the boy's face.

He... was crying?

No, not quite... His expression was the same as always... That stoic, blank look. But... tears were streaming down his face. She watched as he meticulously unwrapped his muffin with so much care it was like he was afraid he'd hurt it, taking the tiniest bite out of it. He chewed slowly, rolling it around in his mouth before swallowing, then took a bite out of the spot he just bit into. When he was done with that bite, he bit into a new part of the outer crust, then continued. It... almost seemed like an eating method he'd developed and perfected. Crust, inside. Crust, inside. Crust, inside.

The entire time, Minato's expression never changed, but... the tears kept streaming from his eyes and down his cheeks. There was something just... downright bizarre about it. The dissonance of seeing someone crying their eyes out with just a blank, stoic expression. She'd heard of tranquil fury... but tranquil sorrow?

Or... was it even sorrow?

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Minato and Yukari arrived back at the dorm at the same time as Hamuko. When they entered, Minato went to sit on the couch and watch TV, while Hamuko went straight for the kitchen.

Yukari sighed, glancing at Mitsuru behind the front desk. "Is Arisato doing what I think she's doing?" the redhead asked, her face and voice serious.

"Yes. Hamuko-san said she's going to be cooking us dinner and breakfast every day to ensure we eat right, and maybe even make us lunches to take to school. She also said Arisato-kun is going to organize some kind of system so he can collect our laundry in an easier and quicker manner, and he'll be cleaning the entire dorm top-to-bottom at least once a week, maybe twice if he feels like it. He'll also be doing all our dishes and if we have any holes in our clothes or clothes that need altering, Hamuko-san says that Arisato-kun just needs a needle and thread and he'll fix them up for us."

Yukari at first thought Mitsuru wasn't moving because she was thinking... but soon realized she was rebooting from a mental blue screen of death. Without a word, she walked out from behind the counter and stepped up to stand over Minato, who looked up at the redhead with no change of expression.

"Arisato?" He quirked an eyebrow. "This dorm used to have a dorm mother here to perform cooking, laundry, and cleaning duties, but after she left, there is currently only us students. With no dorm mother, we have a stockpile of funds we cannot spend. If I provided you and your sister with a stipend of money periodically, would your sister be able to make bigger and more elaborate meals, and would you do a better job with the dishes, laundry, and cleaning due to supplies of greater quantity and quality?"

He nodded.

"I see... Very well. I have a proposition for you, then, Arisato. I will discuss things with the Chairman. If we allow you and your sister to stay in this dorm for the remainder of the year, instead of transferring you to the regular dorms like we planned, would you both be willing to take over dorm mother duties? Specifically, your sister would cook us our meals, while you would clean, wash dishes, do laundry, and as I heard you proposed, handle any clothing mishaps for us. We will provide you with all the funds you need to do so, and even do the shopping for you so long as you provide us with lists of what to get. In exchange, I may be able to work out something in return. Is this agreeable, Arisato?"

He merely nodded again.

"Very well. Consider yourselves permanent residents of Iwatodai Dorm. At least for now."

"Dinner is ready!" Hamuko called from kitchen, poking her head out in, as Mitsuru noted, just an apron and her underwear.

"That was fast! What'd you make, Hamuko-san?" Yukari asked.

"It's my absolute favorite, fried rice! I hope you're all okay with that." She giggled.

"But... We don't have any rice here." Mitsuru pointed out.

"I reconstituted some old rice krispy treats I found in the back of one of the cabinets! Jumbo box, too, so there's enough for everyone!"

Mitsuru and Yukari's jaws dropped in unison. Was this girl a cooking savant, or something?

**XXXXXXXXXX**

It seemed that, now that Yukari had tried several of Hamuko's dishes, she could remain mentally conscious during them instead of being transported to a fantasy world. This did not, however, diminish the sheer flavor high she was induced into. Mitsuru, currently, had not yet adapted, and so was only half present in the real world. But Yukari noticed Minato barely ate even a small plate before he left to go to bed. Hamuko said she would do the dishes for him.

"Um... Hamuko-san?"

"What's up, Yukari-chan?" the red-eyed girl asked from where she stood in front of the sink, her arms half-submerged in soapy water.

"Can I ask you... about your brother?"

"Sure!"

"You sure I won't be prying?"

"Yuka-tan! You know my Onii-chan well enough by now to know that if you want to know anything about him, you'll have to ask me. Because he won't say anything otherwise." she giggled at that.

"He... cried today."

Hamuko abruptly paused, but it only took her several seconds before she continued scrubbing the wok. "Oh? What caused it?"

"I think it was the muffin I bought him at the cafe at the mall."

"Oh? Blueberry muffin?"

That made Yukari blink, taken aback. "Um... Yes. How did you know?"

"I'm sure you've noticed, Yuka-tan, that Onii-chan shows no reaction to my cooking, right?"

"Yes..."

"Onii-chan has no sense of taste."

"He... What? But... how?"

"He got a sinus infection when he was really little, and it ruined his sense of taste. In fact, aside from chewing on ice, I'd swear Onii-chan doesn't like eating at all, and considering some of the things he _does_ eat, I'd swear he has a stomach capable of breaking down anything. He's eaten grass and things from the back of the fridge far past their expiration date and not gotten so much as a stomachache. He does have favorites, though."

"How can someone with no sense of taste have favorite foods?"

"The texture, of course. Or, as you'll find out, memories. Or just good old healthiness. That's actually why Onii-chan doesn't really care for my cooking. It's so well-made, the texture isn't really much to write home about. In fact, in general, the worse the cooking is, the more unique of a texture it has, and thus the more Onii-chan likes it. But like I said, he has favorites based on texture, memories, or simple healthiness. Broccoli, spinach, sweet potatoes, collard greens, walnuts, quinoa, olive oil, psyllium husk, cannellini beans. He has a fondness for fish, so long as it isn't fried. When it comes to desserts, he'd eat nothing but bars of pure dark chocolate if he could, and considers cinnamon the greatest powdered seasoning in the world. He'd put cinnamon on all his food if it were more readily available. His favorite food to eat for breakfast is steel-cut oatmeal, and he'd eat it every morning if he could, just not much of it. If you want to make him something spicy, use turmeric and lots of it, he adores the stuff. Not for the spiciness, mind you. Again, no sense of taste. For him, turmeric is more for the healthiness. There is, however, one thing in the world that will turn an un-glutton like my twin bro into the biggest eater in the world... And that's blueberries. Raw, frozen, or cooked into absolutely anything, blueberries are Onii-chan's only vice. While he may only eat barely enough for most humans to survive, blueberries or foods with blueberries in them are probably the only thing in the world Onii-chan would gorge himself on until he burst. Blueberry pies are worth their weight in gold to him, but above all, Onii-chan's absolute favorite food in the world is-"

"Blueberry muffins..." Yukari gasped.

"You got it, Yuka-tan! The reason for it, though, is two-fold. You might not know this, but Onii-chan and I are orphans... We both lost our parents ten years ago."

Yukari swallowed her guilt. She'd... already known, but she wasn't going to say that.

"Before we lost our parents, we were pretty different. Onii-chan was actually really cheerful most of the time and had quite the temper. I was actually really timid and a big crybaby. After our parents died, though, Onii-chan's personality shifted violently into what it is now. I realized then that I needed to pick up the slack, so I made sure that no matter what, I'd stay positive. I also strived to become just as good a cook as our mom was. And mom... made the best blueberry muffins in the world."

"So, Minato-kun's favorite food... It's the blueberries he loves, of course, but... they remind him of his... your mom?"

Hamuko giggled, still scrubbing the dishes. "You're pretty sharp, Yuka-tan! Yeah. It doesn't matter how bad a cook you are. Hell, the worse a cook, the more unique the texture, and the more Onii-chan will like it. But bottom line is... Make Onii-chan just one blueberry muffin... and he's yours forever. Just... make sure it's sugar-free."

"Why sugar-free? Does Minato-kun not like sweets?"

"No, nothing like that. He's diabetic."

Wait, why would a boy with no sense of taste not like sweets? Yukari silently berated herself for asking that question. Stupid, stupid, stu- Wait, what? "He... he is?"

"Yeppers! Onii-chan has diabetes. He even has to take insulin shots."

"Why... hasn't he mentioned this?"

"You didn't ask, of course!" Hamuko giggled. "I mean, do you tell everyone what medical problems you have? I sure don't!"

Yukari sighed. She supposed... Hamuko had a point. And... it was just then she realized something...

Broccoli, spinach, sweet potatoes, collard greens, walnuts, dark chocolate, blueberries... All of Minato's favorite foods his twin sister had listed... Those were all considered diabetic superfoods.

"Also, Yuka-tan... Why did you switch from calling Onii-chan Arisato-kun to Minato-kun in the middle of our conversation?"

Yukari swallowed hard. She... She did?

"Just teasing, Yuka-tan!"

Ugh... She'd swear, Hamuko was a female Junpei in terms of sense of humor...

**XXXXXXXXXX**

It was later that full moon night that Ikutsuki stepped into the command room of Iwatodai Dorm.

"How are they?"

"The same as last night. He's asleep in his bed. His sister, on the other hand, is wide awake, and has been wandering around her room in her underwear since retiring for the night, alternating between watching TV and using her laptop."

"Hmm... Very interesting." Ikutsuki mused. "Even those who have the potential tend to be unstable at first... Memory loss... Disorientation. But these subjects are rather unique. They haven't exhibited any of the common symptoms."

"But... we're treating them like guinea pigs..." Yukari pointed out, frustrated.

"I understand your concern, but it's imperative that we recruit new members. I heard they're your classmates. Wouldn't you be more comfortable working with someone from the same grade? One of them's a female classmate, at that."

"Yeah, I guess. But, still..." the brunette sighed.

A chime sounded as an emergency call from outside rang through the room.

"Command room." Mitsuru answered calmly. "Is that you, Akihiko?"

"You're not gonna believe this... This thing is huge!" Akihiko's voice said over the comm link, sounding strained. "Unfortunately, I don't have time to talk... It's chasing me... I wanted to let you guys know. I'm almost there."

"Does that mean... he's bringing that thing here?!" Yukari exclaimed.

"Chairman! Let's suspend our observation for now. We'll prepare for battle!" Mitsuru suggested urgently.

"R-Right! Be careful!" Ikutsuki answered.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Bursting through the front door, Akihiko slammed it shut just before the thing chasing him could reach inside, locking it and pressing his back against it as he slumped to the floor, clutching his side.

"Agh!" he groaned.

Mitsuru ran downstairs with Yukari and Ikutsuki in tow. "Akihiko!" she exclaimed upon seeing him.

"I'm alright." he assured her, despite his grit teeth. "Get ready to be surprised... It'll be here any second."

"This is no time to joke around!" Mitsuru barked.

"It's one of them, Akihiko?" Ikutsuki asked.

"Yes, but not an ordinary one."

The entire house shook with a loud bang. "Ahh!" Yukari shrieked in fright. "What the...?! You've gotta be kidding me!"

"Chairman, please head for the command room! Takeba, go upstairs and gather the twins! Then, escape out the back." Mitsuru ordered calmly.

"But, what about you two?" the brunette asked, worried.

"We'll stop it here." she turned to the silver-haired boy. "You led it to us, Akihiko, so I'm afraid you'll have to fight."

"Like I had a choice!" Akihiko growled. He turned to the brunette. "What are you waiting for, Yukari? Go!"

"I-I'm going!"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Up on the second floor, Yukari began banging on Minato's door. "Wake up! C'mon! Wake up!" There was no response... She had to get Minato out of here! But... wait!

"Minato-kun! I picked up some fresh blueberries from the-"

The door immediately opened, Arisato Minato standing there, though his expression was its usual blank-WAAAAH! He was in just his boxers!

"I don't have time to explain. We have to get out of here, now!" she exclaimed once she got over the sight of Minato's bare chest.

The boy merely nodded.

"Follow me! We need to go get your sister!"

Minato nodded again.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Yukari reached Hamuko's room, pounding on it. "Hamuko-san! Answer the door, please!"

She didn't need to ask twice. The door opened, the red-eyed girl standing there in a matching pink bra and panties set. Wow... Yukari had to admit, she was no slouch in the upper body department, but for being younger than Mitsuru, Hamuko was probably between them in bra size. Maybe that's how she kept her figure despite all that she ate. All those calories just went to her-

"Yuka-tan? What's wrong?" the red-eyed girl asked.

"There's no time to explain! We have to move, right now!"

Hamuko tilted her head to the side. "Why? What's going on, Yuka-tan?"

"No time! Hurry! Downstairs! We'll leave through the back door!"

"Um... Sure. Whatever you say, Yuka-tan."

These two... How could they be so calm during the Dark Hour? Did they not notice the green hue, the gigantic moon, the lack of working electronics, or the bloody water?

**XXXXXXXXXX**

They arrived on the first floor in the dining area, stopping near the back door. Yukari and both of the Arisato twins were panting, but to her surprise, it only took several moments for Hamuko to be back to normal. Wow! What energy.

"Alright... we should be safe now..." Yukari sighed, finally catching her breath. Though... Minato still seemed very out of breath. Almost... unnaturally so. Was he gasping?

A beeping sound interrupted the brunette's thoughts. "Takeba, do you read me?!" Mitsuru's voice said.

"Y-Yes! I hear you!" Yukari answered, bringing her right hand to her ear.

"Be careful! There's more than one enemy! The one we're fighting isn't the one Akihiko saw!"

"What?!" Yukari exclaimed.

A banging sound shook the dorm, making Yukari gasp. "L-Let's pull back! C'mon, you two!"

As the two ran upstairs, Minato... seemed to be moving slower than her and his sister. He was still out of breath? Hamuko, noticing this, hung back to grab his hand and pull him along.

When they reached the second floor, Minato stumbled. "Yuka-tan! We have to stop! Onii-chan needs to catch his breath!"

"Ugh! We don't have time for that!"

"Then give me one second, I'll be right back!"

Yukari was about to say something, but the red-eyed girl ran off, heading for Minato's room. Yukari gazed down at where Minato was slumped against the wall. He was gasping for air, looking paler than usual. How could a boy be this out of shape? When Hamuko returned, she tossed something that Minato easily caught, bringing it up to his mouth. Where did he get an Evoker? And why was he firing it into his mouth of all places?!

"Wait, Mina-"

Puff!

Yukari paused.

Puff!

It was... an inhaler? "Minato-kun... You have asthma?"

His breathing evening out, the blue-haired boy merely nodded.

"Yuka-tan, hold onto Onii-chan's inhaler, please. Neither of us really have pockets right now." She giggled at that.

As Yukari gently took the inhaler from Hamuko, three thoughts entered her head.

So... Minato wasn't out of shape. He just had asthma.

Now she felt bad pushing the boy so hard without stopping to think about his well being...

How could these two be so comfortable running around in their underwear?!

The sound of glass breaking interrupted any further thoughts the brunette could have as she stuffed the inhaler into her pocket. "What was that?!" she gasped. Some squishing noises with the frequency of footsteps could be heard. "It's getting closer!" The floor began shaking next. "K-Keep moving! Hurry!"

"What about Onii-chan's-"

"If he needs another puff, just tap my shoulder! I promise I'll slow down for him!"

Helping her twin brother up, the Arisato siblings followed Yukari up the third floor, but Minato unexpectedly stopped at the window.

"Arisato-kun?"

"The moon..." Minato said quietly, gazing out the window at the giant yellow moon, which was full that night.

"What are you doing?!" Yukari shouted. "Our lives are in danger! Do you want to die?!"

Still gazing out the window, Minato spoke in the same dull, quiet tone the brunette had always heard him use, but it was what he said in that tone that shocked her. "I don't really care..." Yukari gasped. After a moment, Minato turned to cast her his usual dull, icy blue gaze. "Is dying that scary to you?"

"How... can you say that?" the brunette asked in barely above a whisper, utterly shocked. Hamuko honestly couldn't blame her. Most people reacted that way when her twin brother said that. It was, after all, hard to imagine anyone not being afraid of dying.

The entire dorm shook, a massive black figure moving in front of the window.

"What... is that?!" Hamuko gasped.

The window completely shattered as a massive black hand reached in, Yukari diving to tackle Minato to the ground and get him out of the way of the probing appendage. Hamuko honestly wished she had her cell phone on her so she could take a picture of a cute girl on top of her Onii-chan clad only in his boxers.

Getting up, Yukari pulled Minato to his feet and ran off, holding his hand to pull him along. "Hurry up! To the roof!"

Hamuko followed the two up the stairs, noticing the brunette's thigh had a gash in it, blood running down her leg.

"I can't die in a place like this." Yukari said to herself. "I haven't learned anything yet! I don't want to die!"

The trio burst out onto the roof, the brunette sighing in relief as she locked the door behind them. "The door's locked. I think we're safe for now..." A roar made her eat her words.

Turning, the trio saw a huge black hand reach up from the edge of the building and grasp the ledge of the rooftop. It was soon followed by another huge black hand raising up, holding a blue mask with the roman numeral for one on the forehead, rotating it back and forth as if looking around with it. Five more arms arose next, grasping the ledge, then yet another six more arms emerged from below as well, each holding a giant sword!

What could only be described as a mass of tangled black arms holding swords and a blue mask face climbed onto the roof, approaching the trio. "You gotta be kidding me!" Yukari exclaimed. "It climbed up the wall?!"

**XXXXXXXXXX**

With a slash of her rapier, another Cowardly Maya was dispatched., "Is this the last one?" she wondered allowed, spinning around to face behind her. "Akihiko! Report!"

"Sorry, I've lost sight of the biggest one." the silver-haired boy groaned, clutching his side. He brought his right hand to his ear. "Chairman, nothing's shown up yet?"

"Nope. There has been nothing over here. In the meantime, it seems all right to rest..." Ikutsuki replied from the command room.

"Right. To the command room!" Mitsuru directed.

As Akihiko and Mitsuru returned to the command room to join Ikutsuki, they found the three students via the security cameras.

"There! They're on the roof!" the silver-haired boy pointed out.

"That gigantic Shadow... Just what is it we're dealing with?" Mitsuru said.

"Let's go, Mitsuru!" Akihiko roared.

"Wait!" Ikutsuki urged them.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"What the hell is that, Yuka-tan?!" Hamuko exclaimed, hiding behind her twin brother with her hands grasping his shoulders as she gazed out from behind him.

"That's the thing that attacked this place... We call them Shadows! O-Oh yeah... I have to fight... I... I can summon mine... No problem..." The brunette pulled the pistol from her thigh holster. "H-Here goes..." she said nervously, putting it up against the center of her forehead, as if about to shoot herself. She... had to protect Arisato-kun!

"Yuka-tan! What are you doing?!" Hamuko shouted in shock.

Yukari closed her eyes, taking deep breaths. She had to protect him... somehow...

"Yuka-tan, I know the situation is bad, but giving up like that's not the answer!"

Glowing with a red light, the Magician summoned a plume of fire right in front of Yukari, sending her flying back into the wall.

"Yuka-tan!" Hamuko cried, running to check on the brunette.

Her pistol went flying out of her hand, hitting Minato's bare foot in a puddle of blood. Reaching down, he picked it up in his left hand, gazing at it. His face having not changed at all the entire time, he pressed the gun to his left temple, displaying what Yukari could only describe as, as... a slasher smile!

"Per... So... Na..."

"Onii-chan, wait!"

Blam!


End file.
